2/5/2025

It’s that time of the year — IEP renewals and initiations for the upcoming school year. Those who have dealt with IEPs understand how stressful the process can be. From collecting materials to meeting after meeting with school counselors, psychiatrists, and staff. The whole process is stressful. It really is. At least, for me it is.

We live in DeKalb, a relatively large county in Metro Atlanta, Georgia. The school system is the 3rd largest in the state with an estimated 92k student population and roughly 6.6k teachers as of Feb 2025. That said, it’s easy for students and families to get lost in the sauce in regards to processes, especially in the many underserved and underprivileged communities frequently seen in South Dekalb.

Having grown up in this very school system, I was under-enthused at the idea that my kids would possibly have to attend the same schools I did, especially after learning that our son has special needs. My husband and I cringed at the thought of sending him to school; we even homeschooled him for a while to avoid it. But we finally came to the conclusion that he needed the social element and routine of a brick-and-mortar school setting. A change in scenery. A chance to work with professionals. A chance to ride the bus (because I swear that’s all he cares about, lol).

So we (well, I) made the difficult decision to send our baby boy to school.

Pages: 1 2 3 4